Voting-booth.



A. H 6: R. B. PATTERSON.

VOTING BOO'IHJ APPLICATION 11.21) JAN.1'I, 1910.

Patented Jim 31. 191 1.

UNITED STATES ALBERT E. PATTERSON AND ROYAL E. PATTERSON, OF NEW MARTIN'SVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA.

VOTING-BOOTH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 31, 191 1.

Application filed January 17, 1910. Serial No. 538,492.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT E. Parrnn- SON and ROYAL E. PATTERSON, citizens of the United States, residing at New Martinsville, in the county of WVetzel, State of Vest Virginia, have invented a new and useful Voting-Booth, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has for its object to provide an improved voting booth which, when in use, will take up very little space, and which, when not in use, may be folded into small compass for storage.

Another object is to provide a booth of the kind stated which is light and durable, and simple in structure.

The invention also has for its object to provide a booth which will conceal the voter without the use of curtains.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent when the invention is better understood, the structural details being fully described hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated in the acco1npanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which drawings- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the booth in open position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4: is a front elevation of the booth in folded position, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 5 denotes a pair of uprights mounted on a suitable base or supporting feet 6,-and connected in spaced relation by cross-bars 7. Each upright is formed with a vertical slot 8 in which a slide 9 is mounted. The walls of the slots are grooved to receive tongues 10 projecting from opposite edges of the slides, whereby the slides are held in place, and guided in the slots.

Extending between the slides 9, and carried thereby, is a panel 11, and at the lower end of the panel, the slides are connected by a cross-bar 12. To this cross-bar is hinged at 13 a shelf 14. To the panel is hinged at 15, a pair of swinging doors 16, these doors being so located, that the shelf, when swung outwardly in position for use, fits between the doors in their open position. When not in use the shelf is adapted to be swung upwardly against the panel 11, and the doors closed over the shelf. The shelf is held in extended position by means of catches 17 engageable with the doors.

To opposite edges of the shelf are fixed strips 18 for the purpose of stiffening the same and to prevent warping. Said strips and edges of the shelf are also recessed as indicated at 1.9 in order that the edges may pass the hinges of the doors when the shelf is swung to folded position against the panel 11. At 20 is indicated a plate which is fastened to the uprights so as to extend across the slots 8. Each slide 9 carries a block 21 and a spring catch 22. The block 21 is so located that it engages the plate 20 when the 'slides are in extended position, and it thus serves as a stop to limit the outward movement of the slides. able with the plate 20 to hold the slides in extended position.

The respective uprights 5 may be made in one piece as shown in the drawings, or they may be formed of two posts suitably spaced apart to form the slot 8, in which event the plate 20 also serves to hold the posts in spaced relation.

In use, the slides 9 are extended upwardly from the uprights a suitable distance to bring the shelf to a proper level. The shelf is then swung downwardly to extend horizontally from the panel, the doors first being swung open so that the shelf may be extend ed thcrebetween. The shelf is held in extended position by the catches 17, and the booth is now ready for use.

The booth is small, and takes up very little space, in view of which a number may be employed in the voting place, spaced a suflicient distance apart so that it will be impossible for voters occupying the booths at the same time to communicate with each other, this being desirable where voting is by the secret ballot system. The panel and doors afford sufficient concealment to the voter, and the use of curtains for this purpose is therefore dispensed with. WVhen the booth is not in use, the shelf is swung upwardly against the panel, and the doors are closed over the folded shelf, and fastened together by a suitable device 23. The slides 9 are also released and pushed down the slot 8 which brings the entire apparatus between the uprights and folds it into small compass for convenience in storage.

What is claimed is:

1. A voting booth comprising a support, slides carried thereby, a panel carried by the slides, a cross bar connecting the slides ad- The catch 22 is engagcjacent to the bottom of the panel, a shelf hinged to the cross bar, and a pair of doors hinged to the panel, the shelf fitting between the doors when swung into position for use 1 and being foldable behind the doors when 1 the latter are in closed position.

2. A voting booth comprising a pair of uprights having Vertical slots, slides mounted in the slots, a panel carried by the slides, a pivoted shelf and a pair of swinging doors carried by the panel, a plate secured to the uprights and extending across the slots thereof, stops on the slides engageable with the plate to limit the upward movement of the slides, and a catch carried by the slides and engageable with the plate for holding the slides in extended position.

In testimony that we claim the forgoing as our own, we have hereto afiixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT E. PATTERSON. ROYAL E. PATTERSON.

Witnesses E. A. EDGELL, HENRY STA Mar. 

